Tottenham and Chelsea warned Richarlison and Co aren

Watford have just won one battle to keep a prized asset and are aware there could be many more to come. It is a sign of their progress that Premier League sides want to lure their talent.

The strong stance to block Everton’s attempts to acquire highly-rated head coach Marco Silva this month has already sent out a strong signal of intent that they will not be bullied by a so-called bigger club.

That will not stop the elite from circling around the players who have entertained on the way to climbing to eighth position in the top flight.

Richarlison is already attracting the interest of Tottenham and Chelsea before the January transfer window, having scored five goals since joining from Fluminense for £11.5million in July.

Just like Silva, though, the 20-year-old is going nowhere. As chief executive Scott Duxbury explained to Standard Sport: “We want Richarlison to be here for many more seasons. We are building a very competitive squad, we have no need to sell.